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What techniques would you use to ensure data consistency in a distributed database?

General/Otherhard0.3 min readPremium

**Techniques:** (1) 2PC—coordinator commits/aborts all. (2) Saga—compensating tx for eventual consistency. (3) Distributed tx (Percolator/Spanner). (4) Eventual + conflict resolution (CRDTs, vector clocks)....

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Frequency
Low
Asked at 1 company
Category
243
questions in General/Other
Difficulty Split
151E|43M|49H
in this category
Total Bank
1,863
across 7 categories
Asked at these companies
Disney+ Hotstar
Key Concepts Tested
partition

Why This Question Matters

This hard-level General/Other question appears frequently in data engineering interviews at companies like Disney+ Hotstar. While less common, it tests deeper understanding that distinguishes strong candidates. Mastering the underlying concepts (partition) will help you answer variations of this question confidently.

How to Approach This

This is a senior-level question that tests architectural thinking. Lead with the high-level design, then drill into specifics. Discuss trade-offs explicitly - there is rarely one correct answer. Show awareness of scale, fault tolerance, and operational complexity.

Expert Answer
67 words

Techniques: (1) 2PC—coordinator commits/aborts all. (2) Saga—compensating tx for eventual consistency. (3) Distributed tx (Percolator/Spanner). (4) Eventual + conflict resolution (CRDTs, vector clocks). (5) Strong consistency where needed—single-partition writes.

Architecture Diagram:

[Client] --> [Coordinator]
| |
v v
[Partition A] [Partition B] [Partition C]
| | |
+----2PC Phase 1 (Prepare)----+
| | |
+----2PC Phase 2 (Commit)-----+

Trade-off: Strong consistency limits scale; choose per use case.

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